Settling in to the New Year!

Dear Friends

Well Happy New Year! I thought I would share some thoughts from my New Year's Day. Every year our family packs up leftover Christmas fare and we go into the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne.

Well they are just splendid with many very old trees and sweeping lawns and lots of places to have a picnic and just chill out. Open places as well as hidey places.

I often take in painting stuff or stitching and we are very weighed down with chairs and blankets and the odd cushion and the thermos and tea bags and ..................you get the idea. Imagine 5 weighed down donkeys and you just about have it.

Well we settled and being a gorgeous day there were many people around. I normally am busy and don't really notice what others may be doing but this day there was a little girl and her brother very hard at work.

You couldn't help but notice them. I think they may have been tourists - I could not make out their language but northern Europe I think.

These little children were so keen on building this little fairy house that they took their time and were very content to work until it was right. I got this shot in quickly which seemed unfair but she was such a joy to watch. Her final touch was to sprinkle grass on top of the creation.

Her family soon set off and I had an opportunity to see her handiwork. 

Here is a better shot of the architects work.

SO instead of keeping busy with a pile of jobs I had brought in to work on - I just decided to sit and listen to the day.  Now the Boxing day picnic is a tradition for many people so groups were a little closer together than normal. These are some of the funny snippets I observed during that afternoon.

As we peered for our little plot to sit on, I heard 2 men earnestly discussing fishing - well actually one man monologuing about his ethos on flys etc 

To our left a lady spoke loudly about the dynamics between teachers and parents

A group behind us were all from the UK and madly debating West Ham football team and whilst one of them looked like Ned Kelly - he lectured the rest about electronics

There was an Indian gentleman who wandered around the lawn, then sat and drank and then was off again - dressed in white and pink gingham. He whistled the whole time. 

A lady read her magazine intently ignoring her family and she had her hair wrapped up in the most gorgeous silk scarf with fab gypsy ear rings - I am always hoping my face will change and I look great with my hair/head wrapped in a silk scarf - never mind. 

A little boy kept marching up and down the hill like a steadfast tin soldier  - hoping his Mum would do the same. 

Three young men perhaps in their early 20's playing hide and seek!!! Just gorgeous!

I am sorry if this sounds a little voyeuristic - I truly wasn't spying on anyone - just observing. I was reminded how very wonderful the world is - when everyone can sit on the grass or run around and just be. The strains and worries of everyday life quite banished - mind you the steadfast tin soldier marching up the hill seemed a very sunny little boy for whom strain was a long way away. 

These magnificent cactus flowers had opened - I don't recall ever having seen them although they are quite old. Some things do take a little longer to come to fruition I guess.

Towards 7.00 pm we trundled home - thermos now empty and nibbles all gone and shadows stretching longer.

Hoping everyone is finding time to just sit and listen to the world around them this week

Happiest of everything to you this coming year
Love
Elizabeth
XXX